


Lacrimosa

by Impalax67



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Banter, Barebacking, Biblical References, Blood and Gore, Blow Jobs, Come Swallowing, Demons, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Flirting, Hair-pulling, Hand Jobs, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Non-Consensual Touching, Public Blow Jobs, Public Hand Jobs, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Rimming, Seduction, Sexual Fantasy, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-03-13 22:00:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18949495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impalax67/pseuds/Impalax67
Summary: Castiel is exposed to his worst fears in human form when Dean Winchester is possessed by the Devil himself.Everyone loves a good Castiel / Dean love story, but this one is twisted and morphed in the best way. We don't get to see Dean possessed by Lucifer in the show, so I wanted to explore that a bit.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a previous fiction I wrote for another fandom. Alternate Universe.

It was six o'clock in the morning when his eyes ripped open from the shock of the shrill and redundant _beep beep beep_ coming from the alarm clock. As he reluctantly groaned and raised his arm to hit the snooze button he thought to himself, _it’s agonizing that anyone should have to be awake before the damn sun is even up._ The aggravating sound suddenly stopped, interrupting his inner monologue before his hand even reached the clock. Squinting his eyes, he rolled his head to the side to look at the clock. _6:01_ was blinking in red.

_Great, my alarm clock is messed up_ . _It better go off in another 10 minutes or I’m going to be late for work… again. Oh well._

He shifted back onto his side hoping to get in a few extra minutes of sleep when he heard the television turn on in the other room. Knowing it had to be his roommate, he flipped onto his back with an annoyed sigh.

_Seriously, Jack? You’re gonna blast the T.V. this early in the damn morning?_

“Jack!” he shouted from his bed. “Turn it down! I’m trying to sleep, you asshat!” It instantly became silent as he buried his face in his pillow, not bothering to question why Jack was suddenly so unusually compliant.

Before he could drift off to sleep, his cell phone on the nightstand began to ring.

“Damn it,” he groaned as he grabbed his phone. Strangely, the moment his fingers touched the phone, it stopped ringing. He glanced at the screen to see that it didn’t even register that it had received a call.

Baffled, he started to set the phone down when the alarm clock went off again. As he leaned to turn it off, the television could be heard in the other room again, only this time louder. It seemed as though every object in the apartment that could make noise was suddenly projecting sound as loudly as possible, making him bolt upright, hands over his ears, struggling to understand what the hell was going on.

Then, as soon as it started, the noises ceased. Heart pounding, he looked around his room wondering what the hell just happened. Head spinning, he barely noticed that his phone began to ring again. He eyed it curiously before picking it up once more to view the screen.

_Unknown Caller_

Against his better judgement, he answered, “Hello?”

For a moment he heard nothing but static until a deep, raspy voice spoke into the phone, barely above a whisper. “Hello Cas.” It was difficult to make out exactly what the stranger was saying. “I … en try- … t … a hold … you …”

“What?” Cas asked to the mysterious voice, frustration quickly building up inside of him after getting the shit scared out of him so early in the morning. “I can’t hear you, man. You’re breaking up.”

“Listen to me, Cas. This is very important” the voice stated a bit more clearly.   
Cas could understand more of what he was saying through the static. “I need you to do something for me.”

“Very funny, asshole. Who is this?”

The voice ignored him as he continued to provide instructions. “Go to the old church on Edgewater Avenue. There is something I need you to retrieve for me. It is of utmost importance. Do you understand what I am telling you, Cas?”

With an annoyed and somewhat amused huff, he replied, “Okay, ha-ha. Great prank, dick. I’m hanging up now.”

“No,” the voice answered impatiently. “You _have_ to do this. I can assure you that you’ll regret it if you don’t. Go to the church, Cas. I will not be so kind if you refuse my instructions.”

The morning was not a good time to mess with Cas. “Look, fuckwad, I’m not going anywhere. I don’t know who you are and I don’t care. If you call me again, I’ll hunt you down and kick your ass.” He was only somewhat bluffing. He may have been exhausted, but anger was always his best motivator.

He quickly hung up the phone and fell into his pillow. Just as he had gotten comfortable, the familiar, disturbing sound of his alarm clock went off. He went to shut it off for the last time but stopped short when he read what it had said. There were no numbers, only letters scrolling across the screen.

_You can’t ignore me, Cas. Don’t bother to run. Accept my instructions. Trust me and allow me to lead you. Take my hand, Cas._

The moment he finished reading, a familiar voice was heard from behind him catching him off-guard. “Cas,” it whispered eerily.

He whipped around to see a man in the shadows holding his hand out towards him. He couldn’t clearly see his face, only his silhouette in the darkness. “Come with me,” he said in a voice that was both inviting and equally terrifying.

It was as if his heart had stopped beating. He couldn’t move or breathe in view of the fact that he was frozen with shock. The mysterious figure quietly cackled at his response, peeling back his lips into a wide smile revealing his pointed teeth that sent chills up Cas’s spine.

Not waiting for his response, the figure took Cas’s hand in his, which burned to the touch and held it against his chest. “You’re not going to regret this,” was all that escaped his lips before a shrill _beep beep beep_ rang throughout Cas’s head, blurring his vision into a mess of darkness and confusion.

* * *

He sat up gasping, holding his hand to his pounding heart which was beating fiercely against his chest. He turned to the source of the piercing sound. _6:00_ the clock read. He switched it off and turned on the light sitting on the nightstand, illuminating his somewhat dark room due to the black curtains blocking out the morning sun. His eyes darted around the room searching for the frightening figure that haunted him.   
  
Sighing with relief, his pounding heart started to slow down upon the realization that it was just a nightmare. _Holy shit. It was just a dream. Just a bad dream_ , he reassured himself.

Lost in thought, tiredly convincing himself that it was a nightmare and that he was not, in fact, being haunted, he gazed down at the hand that had been grabbed by the shadowy figure. He choked on his own breath and his eyes widened with terror as he noticed that it was red and swollen … as if it had been burned.


	2. Chapter 2

_ What the actual fuck? What does this mean? Is it possible for dreams to cause a physical effect on the body? _

Cas’ head was whirling with questions as he got into the shower shortly after his bizarre nightmare. He figured the cold water would help reduce his stress as well as the pain surging through his hand. The area where the man had touched him in his dream was raw and agitated.

He leaned his head back under the running water breathing a sigh of relief, enjoying the feeling of his worries flowing down the drain with the water. He was adamantly ignoring the fact that as soon as he stepped out of the shower, they would overwhelm him once again. He ran his fingers through his wet hair, not thinking about anything until he started to have a very uneasy feeling. He had a strange sensation that he suddenly wasn’t alone. Cas poked his head out from behind the curtain to look around but saw nothing. Pushing the abnormal feelings aside, he continued with his shower.

Shortly after that, he heard someone laughing. “Jack?” he called out, wondering what he was doing up so early.

No one answered. Abruptly, he felt a gust of air rush past him, making him shiver and catching him off guard since there was no window or anything that logically could have caused that. He heard a faint, low chuckle echo throughout the room, just barely loud enough for him to hear it. Again, he checked from behind the curtain of the shower and saw no one, but the laughter still continued.

“Who’s there?” he nervously asked, not fully expecting a response in return. The laughter died out slowly, leaving him to question his sanity. He rushed through the rest of his shower, accepting the fact that he was slowly going crazy and was in need of a distraction.

He stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and heard dishes clattering in the kitchen. He entered to find Jack searching for a bowl to make breakfast with. He and Jack shared a small apartment together near their work. “Morning,” he yawned, briefly acknowledging his presence as he was focused on what he could eat before his shift started.

He halfheartedly nodded in response before asking, “Hey, did you sleep okay last night?”

“Like a baby,” he replied before biting into the apple he grabbed off of the counter in lieu of cereal. “Why?”

“I was just curious…” Cas trailed off. Jack eyed him curiously as he continued to loudly chew his apple. Cas sighed tiredly before explaining further. “I had some weird dream is all. Or maybe it was a night terror, I don’t know. I was wondering if it had anything to do with that Thai food we had last night.” He paused to think about the consequences of asking his next question due to the fact that Jack could get overly passionate about odd and superstitious circumstances. “Do you think it’s possible for dreams to have an effect on people physically?” Pain subtly surged through his hand at the memory of the dream.

Jack halted his obscene chewing and with a puzzled expression, he replied, “Hmm, I’m sure it’s possible. I mean, our brains are so complex and powerful that we haven’t even fully been able to understand its limits. Our brain is what controls how we process anything physical, so yeah, I would definitely say that they can.”

“Ah. Well, that’s good, I guess...”

“Why do you ask? Did your dream disfigure you? You look like normal Cas to me,” he commented sarcastically before taking another bite out of his apple.

Cas casually waved his uninjured hand at him before heading back to his room. “No, man. I was just curious. Thanks.”

He couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that was plaguing his thoughts. He couldn’t take his mind off of the dream, more specifically the man who was in it. His words were playing on repeat in his head along with his sinister smile and macabre stare.

Cas tried to distract himself by thinking of the amount of work that awaited him at his job, but it was pointless. He quickly pulled on some clothes, grabbed his wallet, and after a short train ride he was standing in front of his building, sluggishly making his way inside. To make matters worse, he knew it was probably because he had such a poor night's sleep, but he could have sworn he saw the same terrifying silhouette of the strange dream-man in some of the reflections of the windows he passed. He kept looking around and there was never anyone there behind him. He quickly became annoyed with himself and admitted that this was getting out of control. He needed to let this go and move on. It was a dream for fuck’s sake, and his hand was already feeling better.

Much to his dismay, the first thing on the docket for work that day was a meeting with all of the executives. Cas grabbed his things from his desk and made his way into the large conference room, taking his usual seat in the farthest corner in the back of the room, hoping that the meeting would take his mind off of things. It’s not like he didn’t have other things to worry about. To name a few things offhand, he was falling behind in his work, he and his family and he were becoming estranged and on top of all that, his most recent relationship failed because of his alleged lack of empathy. He had plenty of fucked up things going on in his life that he should have been more concerned with, so the fact that he was caught up in a dream and a sore hand was absurd.

After the remaining executives filed in and took their seats, the meeting began and he could already feel himself getting bored. The lights were dimmed, and the President of the company was giving an unenthusiastic PowerPoint presentation. Trying to remain alert, Cas’ lack of sleep from last night wasn’t helping and the fact that he had never been a morning person was keeping him from concentrating. 

Just as he was beginning to zone out, a voice whispered to his side, “Fuckin’ A, this guy is going to bore us all to death.”

Cas quietly snickered and turned slightly to acknowledge who had spoken. He choked on his own laughter and bolted upright in surprise as he turned to face the man sitting next to him. It was the man from his dream. He glanced frantically around the room in panic and alarm, but no one was paying the slightest attention.

“How-… who-… the fuck-…?” was all he managed to whisper hysterically. He wasn’t able to properly form words as he just continued to stare in confusion.

“Awe, Cas, close your mouth, that’s rude.” He hadn’t realized that his mouth was hanging open in bewilderment so he quickly closed it, taken aback by the man’s tone of voice and his mocking behavior. He wasn’t nearly as terrifying as he remembered from his dream.

The man chuckled darkly at his reaction and continued, “I’ve really been looking forward to meeting you, Cas. I’m sorry to drop in on you like this. I was hoping for something a little more… intimate…” he paused, smiling wickedly before continuing, “But time is of the essence and I had to get introductions out of the way.”

Before Cas could fully comprehend what the man was saying, he took a minute to really look him over. He could now clearly see his features which had been lost in the darkness and shadows of his dream. The man’s hair was a light brown, possibly a sandy blonde. It was short but full, and styled in the front. He was adorned with a chocolate-colored leather jacket on top of a tight black t-shirt that hugged his fit form accompanied with dark blue jeans. He had intense, mossy green eyes with a golden undertone that made him look wise beyond his years. He didn’t appear to be any older than his early 30’s though. His high, freckled cheekbones accentuated his prominent nose which gave him a boyish appearance in comparison to his thick body frame.

As Cas finished surveying him he noticed that the man was smirking. He snapped back into the present after he playfully teased, “Please try to pay attention, Cas. I’m not  _ that _ pretty. We have more important things to discuss.”

His smirk grew wider as the man noticed Cas’s cheeks flush red before he took a moment to glance down at Cas’ sore hand, which was still discolored from the burn. He hissed slightly and frowned, “Sorry about that. I clearly underestimated our connection. I really didn’t think that touching you would have such a prominent effect.” He paused to smile wryly at Cas. “Want me to kiss it better?”

After Cas slowly started to come to terms with the current situation, he bluntly asked, “Who are you? How do you know me?” he was trying his best to stay quiet so as not to draw attention to them. Luckily, everyone was facing away from them and towards the front of the room. The strange man was not at all being inconspicuous and he looked around the room to see if anyone else was watching or listening in on their discussion.

The man followed Cas’ gaze surveying their surroundings before answering his unspoken question, “Don’t worry about them, no one here can see me... except you, of course.” He added with a wink. It seemed as though he was laughing at his own joke that no one else was in on.

Cas was beginning to get annoyed with his game. “Okay, you know what? This is really fucking weird and I’m getting tired of this. You need to leave. I’m not interested in whatever it is that you’re getting at.”

The man’s playful look suddenly became rigid. “I’ll allow that to slide for now, but don’t test me, Cas. As much as I enjoy mind games I’m in a hurry and need you to do what you’re told. As I said before, you need to go to the church on Edgewater Avenue. It’s currently vacant, so you won’t have any trouble getting in. Upon arrival, I’ll provide further instructions, but you need to get there. Today.”

“Are you insane?” Cas asked, losing his patience. “How many times do he have to say ‘no’ before you understand? Back off! You need to get your head checked, man. You’re deranged.”

The man’s eyes abruptly became several shades darker as they flashed with anger and Cas suddenly became aware of the heat radiating off of the man’s body. He looked down at his clenched fists suddenly nervous and very aware of his close proximity to him. He felt his sanity crumble with each passing minute as he allowed myself to continue having a conversation with the delusion from his dream. 

“Cas,” he warned through clenched teeth. “No one else can do this for me. You’re the only one who has the ability to complete this task and refusal is not an option,” he carefully emphasized the last phrase. “I’m not always going to be this nice, so stop fucking around and do what I tell you.”

The look on his face told Cas that he was serious, but he didn’t give a shit. He remained expressionless as he took a deep breath, leaned in closely and simply whispered, “...No.”

The word barely escaped his lips before the man lunged at him, making him cry out in shock. He instinctively shoved his arms out in front of himself for protection, closed his eyes and fell clean out of his chair from the impact. “Get the fuck off of me!” he shouted, still shielding his face from the impending attack. He felt someone shaking him and he started to fight back until he realized that no one was hurting him. He pulled his arms down and slowly opened his eyes to see multiple concerned and frightened faces staring back at him. 

Gasping, he sat up and saw that the entire conference room, including the president, was looking at him, waiting for an explanation. “I-I’m so sorry... I need to be excused,” he said breathlessly. He grabbed his things and sprinted out the door, not bothering to look back as he exited.


	3. Chapter 3

Cas was having a mental breakdown. That had to be it. That was the only explanation for his sudden night terrors. Or… day terrors, too? Fuck. He clearly needed to see a doctor, or a psychiatrist or  _ something _ . It was apparent that something was messed up in his head and he needed to get it sorted out. Being mentally unstable was not something he needed to add onto his already fragile reputation, especially after that episode he had during the meeting.   
  
Catching his breath and lost in thought, he hardly noticed his name being called from across the small courtyard behind his work building. He halfheartedly looked in the direction of who was calling him, afraid it was one of his co-workers coming to taunt him. Instead, he saw Jack approaching him with a big grin on his face, which faded fast when he saw Cas’ panicked expression. “Cas? What’s wrong?”

He was still dazed from what had happened and he really didn’t feel like going into detail about how he was slowly descending into madness with Jack right now. “Uh, nothing. I fell asleep during my meeting. I made an idiot out of myself by snoring and my boss asked me to leave,” he lied, impressed with how quickly he came up with that. 

Jack laughed in response, “Dude, I don’t blame you. If I had to talk numbers all day with the guys you work with, I’d pass out, too.” He patted Cas’ back reassuringly. “Don’t sweat it, I’m sure you’re not the first to pass out during one of those, and you won’t be the last. They’ll forget about it by this time next week.”

“Yeah… thanks.” Cas sighed. “I just… I need to decompress. I think I’m going to take a walk. You know, just get some air.” he really wasn’t in the mood to talk and Jack’s the type of guy who would set aside everything to help out a friend to ensure that he was okay. Cas didn’t want him to stress about it. Hell, he didn’t even know if there was anything to stress out about. He could just be sleep-deprived and overthinking the whole thing. Or at least that’s what he was trying to convince himself of.

“Yeah… okay,” Jack replied, brows furrowed slightly in concern. “But call me if you need anything… and do us all a favor and get your shit together before tonight,” he playfully mocked.

“Got it... wait-” Cas paused, confused. “What’s tonight?”   
  
Jack took a minute to stare at him dumbfounded before replying, “Umm… my bachelor party? The one that you helped plan? The party that you’ve been exhausting yourself over for the past 2 months that you haven’t stopped talking about?” 

_ Shit. Dick move, Cas.  _ He thought to himself. 

“I was kidding, Jack,” he lied through his teeth. “I got it. I’ll meet up with you and the guys at the bar,” he said confidently, not wanting Jack to catch onto the fact that he had completely forgotten.

Jack looked at him skeptically before giving him a short nod. “Yeah, okay… I’ll see you tonight then.” It was obvious that he knew something was up, but he didn’t press on about it.    
  
They parted ways and Cas started making his way down the street. Luckily his work was in a busy part of downtown, so that meant plenty to look at when he went on his walks, which was fairly often. It was something he liked to do particularly when life was becoming overwhelming. He didn’t think about where he was going or where he would end up. He just let his feet do the thinking and when he was done, he would always find his way back. 

After about an hour or so of walking, and taking care to avoid as many unwanted reflections as possible, he noticed that he was in an unfamiliar area. Unable to find a street sign, he had ventured further down the road until he was able to find one. When he read it, he nearly choked on his own breath. 

_ Edgewater Avenue _

Again, his head was whirling with questions.  _ Was this a coincidence? What are the odds that my mindless wandering would lead me to this street?  _

His curiosity got the better of him as he continued to walk down Edgewater Avenue. It was a pretty run-down block. The street was lined with old, abandoned looking buildings and he couldn’t understand why. An entire thriving civilization was just a couple of miles away. What had happened to this place? Why hadn’t he ever noticed it before? None of this made any sense.

He continued to look around until something stopped him. At the end of the street was a tall, gothic-style church with a blood-red door, which seemed particularly out of place among the quaint, small buildings surrounding it. He started to approach it to get a closer look and once he was directly in front of the church, he had a strong sense of unease.    
  
Though he was nervous, curiosity got the better of him and he couldn’t fight the urge to go inside to get a better understanding of why he was drawn to this place. He wanted to know if this was the church the man from his nightmare had been talking about. He took a step forward ready to walk inside when his cell phone rang, pulling him out of his trance.

A bit irritated by the interruption, he stopped to check who was calling. When he saw that it was Jack, he knew he couldn’t ignore it. “Hello?” he answered impatiently.

“Hey Cas, listen, about the party tonight… the bar just called and said that none of the supplies had been delivered. The party starts in less than two hours, and I could really use your help, man. Please?”   
  
“What?” Cas asked, still dazed.    
  
“Don’t worry, I talked to Garth and he said that he knew a guy who could help us out with the delivery, but would you mind stopping by his house to pick him up? He got a little over eager and started pregaming early and can’t drive. I’ve already got the other guys and our stuff packed up and am about to head over to set up.”

Cas was still too focused on the church to really be paying attention. “Wait… what happened to the supplies?”

  
“Earth to Cas!” Jack shouted into the phone. “Come on, dude! This is important!” 

“Alright, yeah, sorry. I’ll pick him up.” he finally agreed, snapping out of his previous trance.   
  
“Cool, I’ll meet you there. Seriously, Cas, whatever is going on with you, we’re gonna figure it out, but I really need your help tonight. Just give me tonight and then you can go on whatever spirit journey you need to. I’ll see you soon.” Before Cas could give a response Jack had hung up the phone. He was absolutely right, he needed to focus on what was most important. This night meant  everything to Jack, and Cas needed to support his friend.    
  
He turned around, forcing himself to forget about the church for the time being, and called an Uber to take him back to his work to pick up his car before swinging by Garth’s. By the time he and Garth arrived at the bar, Jack and the others had already gotten settled, drinks in hand. Cas had helped set up the remaining supplies and once they were finished, he finally had a chance to relax, though if he were being honest with himself, the past couple of hours had been a nice distraction.   
  
“Gentleman!” Jack slurred as he stood from the table, slightly buzzed from both the alcohol and the hyped aura of his friends and the surrounding bar patrons. “Thank you so much for coming out tonight. This has already been such an incredible night.” He placed a hand over his heart, his eyes welling up as he continued. “I am so touched that you-” 

“Sit your ass down, you sap!” one of the guys shouted over him, followed by a roar of laughter.    
  
Jack lifted up a hand in defeat, laughing before quipping back, “Whatever! You know what I’m getting at. It means a lot that you’re here, and I appreciate you guys. That’s all I’m going to say. Cheers!”   


A few hours later, after taking part in every beer guzzling game that was being played, as well as after imbibing every drink and shot that was handed to Cas from his friends as well as the people who saw that they were celebrating their friend’s milestone, he was obliterated. Cas was inebriated to the point where he could barely stand anymore. He could feel himself stumbling all over the place as he made his way to the nearest flat surface on which he could sit for a few minutes to catch his barings. He couldn’t see straight and everything was a blur.    
  
Luckily, he found a bench on the outskirts of the crowd on the terrace in the back of the building. Though he had been having a great time, and he loved interacting with everyone, he was grateful for the chance to step out away from all of the people while he was on the verge of getting sick. He really should have paced himself better, but it had been such an amazing night, he didn’t care about how shitty he would inevitably feel tomorrow. 

Cas had sat down and raised his head to look up at the sky. The stars were swirling in the velvety blackness and he focused on their movement for a while, appreciating their beauty in his intoxicated trance. Shortly after, he could feel someone sit down next to him and casually drape their arm over his shoulder. “My, my,” said an eerily familiar voice. “You’ve outdone yourself tonight, haven’t you?” The stranger with the low and soothing voice lightly chuckled at his apparent state of inebriation. “Here, have some water.”

Without looking at who was offering the beverage, he gratefully took the plastic cup and quickly gulped down the liquid inside of it. “Thank you,” Cas replied weakly, not realizing how thirsty he had actually been.

“It’s my pleasure, Cas.” The stranger’s voice was dangerously inviting. “Now, I hate to be repetitive, but have you reconsidered since the last time we spoke?”

Cas slowly turned his head to face the person who was talking to him. It took a few seconds to try and stop the world from spinning so that he could focus on the man sitting beside him through his half-lidded eyes.    
  
Then it clicked. Cas gasped and immediately tried to fight his way out from underneath the man’s arm that he had swathed over him. “Y-You!” Cas stammered.

Holding him down, he laughed darkly at Cas’ response. “Don’t act so surprised. You should have known that I would be making another visit. So, what is your answer, Cas? We can’t keep meeting like this.”

Cas’ mind was on overdrive and he was honestly trying to keep from throwing up, both from the drinking as well as from  overwhelming fear. “Look,” he slurred, stupidly leaning closer, to which the frightening man raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “I’m sorry, b-but I can’t help you. You are gonna have to find someone else. I-he can’t. I…” he couldn’t even finish his thought before his drunken state took over. Cas leaned back and let his head fall backwards onto the bench before shutting his eyes, letting the alcohol consume him. 

“Well, that’s not the answer I was hoping for, but not to worry. I still have confidence in you.” Cas could feel the man patting his shoulder gently in reassurance. “We still have time, but not much. I will advise you to take caution, Cas. Do not make the mistake of underestimating me or taking my kindness for granted. Asking for your cooperation is simply a courteous gesture on my part, and is not at all required to get you to do what I want.” He paused for a moment, waiting for any kind of response from Cas before exhaling deeply with vexation. Though Cas was plastered, he could have sworn that he felt the man caress the side of his face lightly for a few moments before lightly brushing his hair out of his face. Had he not been so afraid of him, he might have even found that enjoyable.  “Maybe this will enlighten you,” the man suddenly spoke, breaking the short-lived silence.

Cas forced his eyes open and quickly sat up as he felt the mysterious man remove his arm from around him. Everything was still spinning, but he could see him a bit more clearly than before. The man stood up and winked at Cas before turning around to walk up to a group of people in the middle of the terrace who were quietly chatting with each other, sipping on their drinks. 

He had grabbed one of the guys from the circle and brought him out in the opening. No one from his circle of friends seemed to notice. He had looked familiar, but Cas couldn’t see anything clearly that was right in front of his face, let alone a guy from all the way across the room. The man from his nightmares began engaging in conversation with him, making the other man laugh boisterously. It was a laugh that he knew well. It was then that he realized that he was speaking to his roommate, Jack. 

Cas continued to look at the two of them, confused as to whether or not they knew each other or if the strange man was trying to convince Jack to go to the church for him rather than himself. His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when they both stopped speaking to stare directly at Cas. His confusion soon turned to horrific disbelief as the stranger started to tremble, his eyes turning from a mossy green to pitch black, which Cas could even see from a distance.    
  
The man’s mouth began to open up to an impossible length as he unhinged his jaw with a sickening cracking sound that echoed throughout the terrace. Sharp, jagged teeth began emerging from his mouth and without warning, he surged forward, ripping into Jack’s jugular. Cas and Jack both screamed as Cas lurched forward from the bench, tripping over himself in his drunken state and falling to the floor.

The blood was falling fast as the monster continued to chomp at Jack’s throat until he reached the bone. Jack’s head fell back, his neck practically gone and Cas continued to lay on the ground, dumbfounded, suddenly more sober than should have been possible. He looked around the back patio, desperately hoping someone would see what this thing was doing and stop him, but no one even glanced in their direction. 

The monster dropped Jack to the floor when he was finished with him and slowly wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, which only seemed to smear it further across his face. He popped his jaw back into place and his long, sharp teeth went back to their normal size. Cas glared up at him from the floor, not fully able to even breathe and yet somehow simultaneously sobbing. The man then approached Cas, his lips peeled back in a wicked grin. When Cas finally managed to speak, he choked out, “What the fuck is wrong with you? Why would you…?” Another sob halted his speech, causing him to give up on trying to talk, slowly succumbing to becoming a pathetic, heaping mess on the floor. 

The man chuckled wickedly and knelt beside Cas. “This was a warning, Cas. I’ve been very patient with you so far. I guess you could say that I’ve grown a soft spot for you.” He brought his bloody hand under Cas’ chin and lifted it so that Cas was staring into the man’s burning, soulless eyes. “Do not disappoint me.” The stranger then raised up his other hand and snapped his fingers loudly, making the world go black.

* * *

Cas jolted up, taking in a deep, sudden gasp of air. His eyes darted around the familiar setting where people were laughing and talking merrily out on the terrace. Cas clutched his chest, due to the fact that it felt like his heart was literally going to explode out of it and looked down to realize that he was back on the bench on the outskirts of the crowd. He frantically glanced up to see Jack talking happily with their group of friends, oblivious to the fact that Cas just very vividly saw his throat get ripped out. 

“Jack!” Cas croaked from the bench. Jack paused at hearing the sound of his name being called and looked around for a moment before spotting Cas, making his way over. 

“Cas, you goddamn lush,” he laughed when he reached him. What are you doing over here? Did you seriously pass out?”

Jumping up from the bench, Cas threw his arms around Jack, which caused him to stumble back a bit from surprise. “Okay, I think you’re done for the night. Let’s get you back home before you puke all over the place,” he lightheartedly teased.   
  
They started making their way towards the car, Cas clinging onto Jack’s arm for dear life, both for balance as well as for fear of his mortality. He couldn’t tell what was real and what was a nightmare anymore. 

Foolishly, he took one final glance behind him. Cas physically shook as he saw the man from his visions in the middle of the crowd, smiling hauntingly at him. He raised his bloody hand and delicately placed a finger up to his lips to whisper, “Shhh”.    
  
His gesture was the last thing Cas could remember seeing before his world dissolved into blackness. 


	4. Chapter 4

Strong hands were caressing Cas’ chest, each touch igniting some insatiable desire that he never knew he had. Slowly and teasingly, the hands were making their way down his stomach and onto his hips, which caused him to buck up involuntarily with anticipation. Sensual, dark laughter could be heard in response to his silent begging. Who it belonged to didn’t concern Cas at all. Instead, he was entirely focused on the fact that he craved to be touched and that he had never needed anything more in his entire life.    
  
Cas licked his lips in anticipation while eliciting a small whine expressing his desperate desire. A mouth was suddenly covering his own, their lips moving hungrily together, both eager for what was about to occur. He felt a tongue caressing his lips, begging for entry, which he earnestly accepted.    
  
Cas was almost too fixated on the kiss to realize that a hand was abruptly stroking his aching cock, which was already heavily leaking pre-cum. When a thumb swirled over his slit, he gasped into the kiss, the feeling of contact almost too much to handle. He was already so close and these touches were absolutely magical.    
  
Pulling back, Cas wanted to fully acknowledge and appreciate who was making him feel so good. He was met with ravenous green eyes, clouded with lust and mischief. The beautiful man smiled at him, his pointed teeth gleaming in the dim light. His dark blonde hair was slicked back with sweat and he was breathing heavily with each stroke he gave him, pleased with Cas’ reactions to his touch.    
  
“Do you like this, Cas?” he seductively whispered into his ear, his voice dripping with unabridged sin. “Do I make you feel good?”   
  
“O-oh fuck, yes. Please-” Cas begged in between breaths.    
  
The stranger smirked as his strokes began to slow, making Cas stifle a sob in protest from the loss of friction. “Tell me what I want to hear,” he huffed with demand. “I can satisfy you in ways that you could never even imagine. I just need you to say it, Cas.”   
  
Something was off. There was a reason Cas didn’t want to agree to his odd request, but all logic was eradicated from his brain when the man used his skilled hand to give his cock a tight squeeze, interrupting whatever rebuttal he had.    
  
“Please,” he continued to beg. “I  need this… I need you.”    
  
“You’ll have me,” the beautiful man urged while placing soft kisses in the crook of Cas’ neck, nibbling lightly at the skin. “You’ll have all of me, but not before you give me what I want.” Cas turned to face him, meeting his expectant gaze with his own desperate one. “Come on, it will be worth it, I promise. Just say the words, Cas.”    
  
Cas leaned forward to kiss him, earning a couple of quick pumps from him in return. Cas had choked on his own breath from the unexpected increase in contact before pulling away and meeting his confident stare. Why would he not give this man everything? He was perfection and he wanted to do whatever he could to make him happy.    
  
“Yes,” he breathlessly promised. “I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever you want, I swear. Just don’t stop,” he pleaded, pushing his hips forward into his touch.   
  
The stranger’s lips peeled back into a wickedly iniquitous smile before he sped up his movement to an unbelievable speed. Cas threw his head back in ecstasy, the familiar sensation building up quickly at the fiction the man was giving him. Cas almost came on the spot when he felt a hot, moist mouth envelop his throbbing dick.   
  
After only a few more strokes he was ejaculating heavily into the man’s eager mouth, his cries of pleasure echoing throughout the room as his teeth and tongue grazed the underside of Cas’ cock as he swallowed his load in its entirety. Cas began to pulsate with the aftershock as the euphoric feeling spread throughout his body, slowly bringing him back to a coherent state of mind.    
  
The man licked his lips as he positioned himself on top of Cas, running his fingers delicately through Cas’ hair while planting small kisses on his temple. “You’ve made me very happy, Cas,” he whispered against his skin. “You’re not going to regret this.”    
  


* * *

Cas awoke instantly, covered in sweat and sporting a painful erection.  _ What the fuck was that about?  _   
  
He stirred uncomfortably, taking a minute to comprehend where he was while mentally recovering from the nonsensical dream in his mind. He couldn’t understand why he would have a dream like that about a man who not only didn’t actually exist, but who also scared the shit out of him. Cas didn’t particularly feel attracted to him either. The man was a handsome man by general standards, that much was obvious, but his demeanor in his visions was less than appealing and should have been a huge turn off.    
  
Cas had tried to force himself to think of anything else other than the dream in spite of his obvious hard-on. He soon became distracted as the room started to come into focus and he had realized that he had somehow made it back into his own bed after last night’s events. He looked over at the clock and cursed under his breath when he saw that it was almost noon. His head was pounding and he was struggling to remember anything from the night before. Last night was a prime example of why he shouldn’t drink so heavily. He was sure that he had made a fool of himself at one point or another.

Groaning, he got out of bed and intentionally pushed away any thoughts regarding his inebriated state after the party. He didn’t want to remember what he said, who he hit on, or what he destroyed in the process of celebrating. Holy shit, what an awesome night. He was still basking in the glow of it as he threw on a shirt and walked out into the kitchen to make some coffee.    
  
Cas let his mind wander as he relished in the memory of celebrating the night with his friends. It had been such a relief to let go all that had been causing him stress and just focus on his relationships. The coffee was just starting to fill the pot, saturating the apartment with the alluring smell when he heard someone approaching the kitchen from behind, followed by Jack’s tired voice. “Thank fucking god. Nectar of the gods!”   
  
Cas let out a short, quiet laugh, appreciating Jack’s seemingly never-ending optimism. “Yup,” he turned around to offer him a cup, “Dude, last night was-” he was stopped short at the sight of him, making him to drop the mug he was holding. Cas barely registered the sound of the ceramic mug shattering on the kitchen floor as he gasped in terror. 

Jack’s neck was gone. Blood was oozing everywhere, pooling on the floor and his head lay limp to the side with nothing to support it. “Cas? What’s wrong?” his lifeless lips asked him while his cold, dead eyes bore through him. 

Cas closed his eyes tightly, no longer able to register the difference between his nightmares and reality. The unwanted memories from last night were flooding back into his mind, making him tremble with anxiety and fear. He shook his head and opened his eyes to find that Jack had returned to his normal self again, his neck fully intact, but with a worried look on his face. Cas couldn’t even find the words to explain himself. “Jack, I-”

“Cas,” he interrupted, cautiously stepping closer, “Look, don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful for everything you did to make sure things went smoothly last night... but something is up with you, man. You can’t keep pretending like nothing’s wrong. I’m your best friend, you can talk to me.” It was hard to argue with him about it at this point. Jack knew Cas probably better than he knew himself, and he should have known that he couldn’t pull anything past him. 

Cas was never the touchy-feely type of guy. He had always made it a habit to repress his feelings and just go along like everything was okay. If he was being honest, that’s one of the main reasons why he could never maintain a romantic relationship. “I know, Jack. Thanks… I mean it. I guess I’m just having trouble distinguishing what’s real and what’s fantasy lately. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” It wasn’t entirely a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. He could live with that. 

Jack stood silently for a moment, carefully considering his words before he spoke. “Why don’t we get out of here? We’ve both been under a lot of pressure with the wedding and with work and everything in between. Why don’t we go and check out that art show that they’re hosting at The House Café?”

Cas couldn’t really say no to his suggestion. He wasn’t necessarily an art enthusiast, but he could sense that Jack had an ulterior motive and would probably make him go even if he denied, so he just nodded his head in agreement while he went to grab the broom to sweep up the shattered mug. 

“Cool, I’ll invite Garth and Zar too. They probably need as much of a break as we do after last night’s… er…  events. Maybe you could invite that mystery guy you were talking about?” he asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Cas froze, broom in hand, eyes widening at his proposal. “What mystery guy?”   
  
Jack smiled and rolled his eyes at his cluelessness. “The guy that you were going on and on about last night on the way home. I didn’t get to meet him, but you said that there was a guy at the bar last night who ‘wanted you’. I thought you might have gotten a number or something.”   
  
Cas tried to brush it off, not wanting Jack to catch on to his obvious unease. “Honestly, I can hardly remember. I don’t even know his name. I was a little trashed last night in case you didn’t notice.” Cas was getting better at mixing the truth within a lie, which might not have been a positive thing. 

“How could I not notice?” Jack snickered, handing Cas the dustpan as he finished cleaning up the mug. “You left all of the evidence on the side of my car when you hurled out of the window. Next time, we’re bringing a trash can.”

“Shit. Sorry about that,” Cas moaned into his hands, covering his face in shame. “It’s been a long time since I drank like that.”

“Don’t worry about it. I hosed it down last night after you passed out so it’s all clear. At least it was on the outside of the car,” he commented playfully.    
  
Cas smirked, knowing that it was a bigger deal than he let on. Jack loved his car and Cas could only imagine how pissed off he was that he had a layer of puke on the passenger side door.    
  
“Thank you, by the way. he don’t know how I would have gotten home had you not taken care of me.”   
  
Jack waved his hand dismissively in response. “You would have done the same for me.”   
  
Cas grabbed a couple of new mugs from the cabinet and poured them some much needed coffee while they talked about how amazing the previous night was and how excited Jack was for his new life to start with his new partner. Once they were finished, Cas got in the shower, got changed and they drove to The House Café, a popular local cafe which had its own gallery events from time to time. 

Garth and Zar had met them there and it was obvious from their slow movement, sunglasses, and wrinkled clothes that they were paying the price for last night’s event’s, same as Cas. He was genuinely surprised that they had even agreed to come out rather than spend the day in their beds in the dark.    
  
They had ordered more coffee from the stand outside before heading through the gallery, which was featuring drawings and paintings by an up and coming local artist. It was more packed than any of them had ever seen.    
  
“Wow,” Jack commented, looking around at the crowd. “I’ve never seen this place so busy. The artist must have a following.”    
  
They started walking through the gallery, which was entitled “Superno” and he was immediately drawn to the first pieces of work that he saw. The artist only used black, white, and grey colors, making his art have a hauntingly beautiful element. Cas didn’t know much about art, but he could appreciate the beauty of it all and the way the artist must have been fascinated by the aspect of death, which was apparent in his craft.    
  
“Cas,” he heard Jack call from across the room. “Come check this out.”    
  
Cas had pulled myself away from a particularly interesting piece featuring a gloomy hospital room with an empty bed labeled,  _ Pater _ , and walked over to Jack. “What’s up?”   
  
Jack pointed to a flyer on the wall before replying, “No wonder there’s so many people here today. It’s a memorial gallery.” Cas didn’t bother to read the poster that he was pointing at since he was captivated in another work of art nearby. While inspecting the other piece he asked, “What does that even mean?”   
  
Jack paused for a moment, still reading the sign before replying, “The artist died last week. These were the final pieces that he was working on before he died.”   
  
“No way,” Cas responded, tearing his eyes away from the alluring canvas. “That’s unfortunate. He was clearly really talented. If his art is being featured here he must have been gaining some popularity.”    
  
“Yeah. Wow, apparently he was murdered,” Jack continued to read. “He was on his way home and was stuck by a car in a hit and run accident. Police are still investigating, holy shit,” he finished reading in fascination. “I remember hearing about that last week.”    
  
“What was his name?” Cas asked, a little too apathetically.    
  
“Dean Winchester,” Jack replied, pointing to the name at the top of the flyer. “It has a picture here, take a look.”

Cas walked closer to look casually at the picture on the flyer. As he glanced up, he could swear that for a brief moment he could feel his heart stop beating beneath his chest. The man featured on the flyer had light brown hair, mossy green eyes, full puffy lips, and a frighteningly familiar smile. It was the man from Cas’ nightmares.

Cas had stammered back a few steps trying to balance himself as his mind started whirling all over again. Questions started flooding his mind as his heart began to beat faster, causing shortness of breath.    
  
_ Have I met this man before? Do I just not remember meeting him? Am I  being haunted by a ghost? Why the hell am I suddenly seeing him everywhere? _

“Wh-What’s his name again?” Cas croaked out. 

“Dean Winchester,” Jack answered not taking his eyes off of the flyer. “Wow, that really sucks. He seems like he was really talented and by the looks of it he was starting to make a name for himself. I wonder if-” he immediately stopped talking after he turned around and noticed Cas visibly shaking with trepidation. “Hey, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“I need to talk to you about something,” Cas spoke with a hushed tone as he took him by the arm and dragged him out of the gallery. “Now.”

Cas had found a bench outside of the building and sat down, dragging Jack down beside him. Jack looked at him with a concerned expression, waiting for an explanation. Cas sighed heavily before he began. “Okay, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I  _ know  _ that guy. Well… I’ve been  _ seeing  _ him.”

“What guy?” he asked apprehensively. 

“Dean Winchester! The artist of the gallery! It’s like I’ve been seeing him everywhere for the past couple of days. He’s in my dreams, he was at my work, he was at the bar last night and I feel like he’s fucking  _ haunting  _ me! I didn’t even know who the guy was until we just saw his picture, but I swear, It’s the same guy!” Cas finished his frantic explanation and waited nervously for Jack’s reply.

After what felt like an eternity, Jack burst into laughter and replied, “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” Completely disregarding Cas’ unnerved demeanor, he continued, “No, seriously, what the hell is going on?”

“Jack, I’m not kidding. I’m being completely honest with you!” Obviously Cas knew how ridiculous he sounded, and if the roles were reversed, there was no way he would have believed him either. “I know it’s bizarre, but what reason would Ihave to lie to you about something like this?”

Jack took a few seconds before he responded, the smile slowly fading from his face as he began to realize that Cas was being genuine. “Um… do you think that maybe you might have seen a picture of him before and you just can’t get him off of your mind? He’s dead, Cas. He can’t be who you’re thinking of. It has to be someone else.”

Cas looked away from him, shaking his head in dismay. “I know it doesn’t make any sense, but I know who I saw, and he’s definitely the guy!”

Before Jack had a chance to reply, Garth and Zar walked out of the gallery, probably after finally noticing that Jack and Cas had bailed. Zar called over to tjem when he saw them down the street on the benches, “Guys, what the fuck? Were you planning on telling us that you left?”

Jack didn’t bother to apologize. Instead he casually spoke, “Cas isn’t feeling very well. I think he should go home.” Cas met Jack’s eyes with a perplexed stare and he simply nodded at Cas, silently asking him to go along with it. “I’m gonna take him home. Are you guys good here?”

“Yeah… not a problem. Feel better, man” Garth replied, heading back into the gallery with Zar.

Cas waited until they were inside before turning to Jack and asking, “I appreciate you covering for me, but why-”   
  
“Let’s just get you home, dude. We can talk more about it there,” he stated without looking at him. That wasn’t a good sign. Cas had probably just convinced him that he needed to be locked up in a white padded room, but at least Jack wasn’t dismissing him completely. Not yet anyway.    
  
“Okay,” Cas quietly responded as they headed back to the car.

After a few minutes of sitting in awkward silence on the way home, Cas was close to bursting with tension. He could tell that Jack was also a bit on edge because he was gripping the steering wheel abnormally tightly, not taking his eyes off of the road. Cas couldn’t take it anymore and he had to say something. 

“Look, Jack, I’m sorry that I freaked out back there. I know how that must have sounded, and maybe I am crazy, but I’m not a liar. I know what I saw. You know me better than that.”

Jack briefly glanced over at Cas before saying, “I don’t think you’re crazy. I just think that you’re probably really stressed out and need to take a break.”

Cas sighed deeply in response. He knew that it was a long shot, and it was probably a mistake telling Jack about everything that he was experiencing, but he oddly felt better after being completely upfront with him. Jack only ever had good intentions, and regardless of how insane he may have sounded, he knew that it was just better to be upfront about this kind of thing.    
  
“You’re probably right. I just… I don’t know what I need right now.”   
  
“Well, now that last night’s shenanigans is over, you can have time to focus on other things. I know how much effort you put into everything you do, but if you’re seeing people who aren’t there, I really think that it’s time to take a step back and devote yourself to one thing at a time. I know that you’ve been trying to balance work and whatever else, but you can’t do it all, Cas,” he commented sternly, a worried look etched on his face.    
  
“Yeah, I know that I’ve been distracted and falling behind on a few things, but I don’t think that has anything to do with my visions of this guy-”

“Oh, come on, Cas,” Jack turned his head to look at him, making his disbelief and frustration very apparent. “I know you better than that, you can’t just-”

“Holy shit, Jack, watch out!” Cas shouted at him after seeing a large mass rapidly approaching the front of the car. Jack snapped his attention back to the road and quickly swerved to the left to avoid what appeared to be a man standing in the middle of the road. Cas’ head slammed into the door as the car fishtailed before skidding off of the road and stopped in the shallow ditch past the shoulder. 

“Oh my god! Cas, are you okay?” he could hear Jack’s muffled voice next to him as he placed a hand on his shoulder. A loud ringing was surging through his ears. Cas had bumped his head harshley at some point and he could feel a trickle of liquid fall down the side of his face. He wiped it away and looked down at his hand to see that it was blood. Cas opened up the visor to look in the mirror and saw that he had a gash directly above his eyebrow. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied to Jack weakly, still disoriented. “Just a small cut. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Jack responded, breathing heavily. “Was that a guy in the standing in the road?”

“I don’t know... I think so. Holy shit, did we hit him?” he began to panic as they both exited the car. They turned around and saw that there was, in fact, a man still standing in the road a ways away with his back turned towards them.

“Hey! Are you alright?” Jack shouted as they began walking towards him. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you!” The man remained unresponsive, still facing away from them as they walked closer. “Hey, can you hear me? Sir!” He continued to shout, as they got closer. When they were just a few yards away, the man turned around and Cas instantly came to a halt, holding his arm out in front of Jack, stopping him from walking any further. 

The man standing in front of them was Dean Winchester, dressed in dark jeans, a black t-shirt with a red flannel, adorned with a vicious smile plastered across his face. 

“Holy shit, Jack. Do you see him?” The terror in Cas’ voice was blatantly evident.

Jack stared at him in disbelief before responding, “Of course I see him. Are you kidding? That’s the guy we almost hit. Come on, we have to see if he’s okay.” He pushed Cas’ arm away as he continued walking towards the stranger.

“No, Jack, stop.  _ Please _ , stop!” Cas attempted to pull him back, but he kept walking towards the man, dragging Cas with him. Jack was a lot stronger than he gave him credit for. 

Cas finally let him go, frozen where he stood and watched in horror as he continued to walk towards the horrifying man. Jack was just a few feet in front of him when he spoke again, “Hey, listen I’m so sorry. That was completely my fault and I should have seen you. I was distracted-” he cut his sentence short when he finally was able to get a good look at the man in front of him. 

While Jack was putting the pieces together in his mind, the man he now knew as Dean smirked at him before his eyes darted towards Cas. He completely disregarded Jack’s presence and began walking in Cas’ direction. It was one of the most frightening moments of his life. Even from where he was standing, he could feel death radiating off of the man. Coming towards him was his very real, living, breathing nightmare. 

Cas began to shuffle backwards at a sad and pathetic attempt to escape, but he couldn’t just leave Jack there. This was real and it wasn’t just a hallucination this time. He couldn’t just close his eyes and make it all go away. 

Dean was only a mere few feet from him when he spoke. “Time’s up, Cas. You need to come with me. Now.”

“Fuck off!” Cas shouted, glancing from him to Jack, who was still standing dumbfounded in the street, still staring at the strange man.

“Cas,” he sighed heavily, bringing his hand to his face to pinch the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes, clearly no longer retaining any patience. “Please don’t make this harder than it has to be. I’m done waiting.” He held out his hand to him, just as he had in his first dream asking Cas to go with him.

Cas could barely force himself to speak. His breath was caught in his throat and panic seemed to take over his entire body. “How the hell are you doing this? I know who you are, Dean, and I’m not going anywhere with you. You faked your own death. I’m calling the cops!”

Dean emitted a short burst of laughter as he replied, “Oh, Cas. You haven’t figured it out yet. I guess I don’t blame you, as I haven’t been entirely forthright, but not to worry. All will soon be explained now that I’m here. As I’ve told you before, you’re the only one who can do this, so I need you to do as I say and come with me.”

It seemed as though Jack had finally woken from his bewilderment and finally registered the horrifying situation at hand. He started running back toward them, shouting, “Hey, you need to back the hell up, dude. No one’s going anywhere until we get this figured out.”

The Dean-imitator turned to him, obviously annoyed and snapped, “I’d keep your mouth shut if he were you, Mr. Kline. You do not want to test me. I will end your life and send you to an eternity of misery before you can fucking blink,” he finished as his eyes flashed with anger.

“Fuck you, asshole! What is your problem?” Jack had caught up to them and as soon as he had reached them, Dean rolled his eyes and stuck out his arm to place his hand on Jack’s forehead. 

Before either of them could even register his actions, Dean commanded, “Sleep,” and within a second, Jack fell to the pavement unconscious. 

A panicked sound escaped Cas’ throat as he bent down to help Jack, but before he could reach him, he was being scooped up by insanely strong arms. “I’m getting really tired of this game, Castiel. You’re coming with me whether you like it or not,” Dean said as he tossed him over his shoulder.

“Get your fucking hands off of me!” Cas shouted, thrashing against him, which had absolutely no effect on him. “Let go of me, you son of a bitch! You can’t just leave him here! Put me down!” he may have been an averaged-sized guy, but he was usually pretty strong for his size, but Dean didn’t even stop to flinch as he threw punches at his back. Dean simply continued walking until he reached Jack’s car and he forced Cas into the passenger seat. 

Dean then reached his arm around Cas and buckled him in, holding him back against the seat effortlessly. He shot a quick warning glance at Cas before saying, “Hold still,” and he breathed heavily on the buckle. Cas gasped, mesmerized in incredulity as the buckle melted together under his breath, concealing him to his seat, unable to move. 

Dean smirked at his response before shutting the door and walking back to the road. Cas watched, dumbfounded as Dean effortlessly picked up Jack just as he had done with him before bringing him over to the car. He was much less graceful with Jack as he threw him into the back seat of the car, not bothering to secure him with a seat belt. Cas’ heart thumped rapidly as Dean got into the driver's seat and started the car. 

Cas was embarrassingly shaking violently in his seat, not able to bring himself to look at Dean as they started driving away. After a few silent moments, Dean turned to him and smiled wickedly before saying, “This is going to be fun.”


	5. Chapter 5

Cas had no idea where they were headed. It was hard to concentrate on where they were headed considering the situation he had found himself in. He was too preoccupied thinking about his inevitable death and quietly hyperventilating, having close to what he could only assume was a panic attack.    
  
The Dean imitator kept glancing at him as he continued driving at a steady speed down the road. Car tried not to make eye contact, but that wasn’t helping him feel any less terrified or threatened.    
  
He must have gotten bored of waiting for Cas to break the silence, so he spoke instead, “There’s no need for hysteria, Cas. If I wanted to kill you I would have done so already.” If that was supposed to be reassuring, his approach needed some work. “I know that you have a lot of questions, so you may as well just ask.”

“L-Look, man,” Cas stuttered, eradicating his original plan to sound strong and confident in his rebuttal. “I don’t know what kind of trouble you’re in, which I’m guessing is a lot since you went through the trouble of faking your own death, but I can’t help you. I don’t even know you, so you should really just stop whatever it is that you’re planning and let us go.” He spoke nervously, still unable to meet his eyes.    
  
The man chuckled lightly, clearly amused at Cas’ sad attempt at negotiating. “I didn’t fake my death. I was never alive to begin with, but I can assure you that the previous inhabitant of this body is not suffering. His demise was quite unfortunate, but it worked out well in my favor.”    
  
Cas finally looked over at him, dumbfounded, only to find him smirking arrogantly. He knew he had captured his curiosity. “You’re fucking crazy,” was all he could manage to say in response to his absurd explanation.    
  
The man turned his gaze back to the road, the corners of his mouth still slightly turned upward. “One thing you need to understand about me is that I will never lie to you. Despite my reputation for prevarication, I have been nothing but honest with you. I may leave out a detail or two in my descriptions, but trust me, it’s in your best interest at the moment.”   
  
“Trust you?” Cas blurted out. “Are you even listening to yourself? You expect me to believe any of this horseshit? If you’re not Dean than who the fuck are you?”   
  
Cas was alarmed when instead of responding with a snarky comment, he immediately pulled the car over and stopped on the side of the road before turning to look him directly in the eyes. The man took a moment to inspect Cas, calculating his reaction, causing him to shift uncomfortably before he replied. “I’m the Devil, Castiel.”   
  
Cas stared blankly at him, waiting for him to get to the pun of the untimely attempt at humor. He paused for a moment, waiting for a proper reaction, before rolling his eyes and sighing with annoyance. “I  understand that this might be difficult for your kind to understand, but you wanted to know who I am, and I’m telling you.”   
  
Cas couldn’t form any sort of rebuttal. The only words that managed to escape his lips were, “The Devil?”   
  
“Yes, Cas,” he sighed heavily again. “The Devil, Satan, Beelzebub, The Angel of Darkness, Mephistopheles, The King of Hell, etcetera. I have many names, but I am one entity. You may refer to me as ‘Lucifer’.”   
  
Cas then did the most foolish thing that he could have done in that moment. He laughed. Not just a snicker; he laughed loudly and boisterously, on the brink of deranged insanity. The Dean imitator initially looked taken aback by his outburst, but recovered quickly, and was not at all amused.    
  
“You should show me some respect, Cas.” His eyes flashed with anger. “I  have been very lenient with you, a display of kindness that I do not often spare. I am not a joke.”   
  
Cas was no longer laughing outwardly, but he couldn’t manage to wipe the smile off of his face. Ignorantly, he replied sarcastically, “Okay, ‘Lucifer’, why don’t we get you to a nice, padded room where we can talk about your evil plans to destroy the world?”   
  
Big mistake. The words barely escaped his lips before the man pulled him forward by the collar of his jacket, forcing his face inches away from his own. All traces of humor were eradicated when he saw his eyes blaze yellow and red before they were pitch black and filled with affliction. His once smooth, low voice turned rough and demonic as he hissed in his face with bared teeth, “Do. Not. Mock. Me.”    
  
Cas choked back a fearsome sob, not able to speak, His only response was to nod his head frantically to indicate that he understood and would take his threats seriously.    
  
_ Holy fuck. Holy fucking shit. The Devil. he was literally riding shotgun in a car with Satan. How the fuck was this even happening? Was he still dreaming? Did he die and go to hell and this was his eternal torment? In what fucked up world could this be real? _   
  
Lost in his own inexplicable speculation, he was brought back to reality when Lucifer forcefully let go of his jacket and shoved him back into the passenger seat, knocking the breath out of him with the sheer force of his strength.    
  
“Now,” he breathed calmly, his eyes and voice returning to normal as he brushed his hair back, which had become unkempt in his fit of rage, “I  don’t like losing my temper, Cas. I’ll admit, I do enjoy a bit of defiance now and again, but do not presume that I will always be this kind with you. I like you, but I have my limitations.”   
  
He then started the car and skidded back onto the road, continuing their unsettling journey. A few minutes passed of stillness before he spoke again. “You’re right to fear me, but that does not mean that I do not want you to speak your mind. I know that when I’m upset my demeanor can be… alarming. It’s obvious that you have more questions and I will oblige in answering as many as I can. I’m a reasonable guy.”   
  
Without thinking, he stammered impulsively, “You’re not a  _ guy  _ at all… you’re not even human.” he could hardly register the sound of his own voice. How was he even speaking, let alone arguing with him? He couldn’t fully comprehend what was happening to me in that moment. Cas was intentionally keeping this bizarre reality from settling in because if he had, he would have had a full-on panic attack and he would have lost every shred of sanity that he had left.    
  
Lucifer let out a short puff of laughter at his quick response. “Technically, you are correct. I’m not, but while I’m inhabiting this body, I am, for all intents and purposes, human. How else would I know how to operate a vehicle? The mechanics are all here, just not the consciousness.”   
  
“What do you mean by ‘mechanics’?” Cas asked, once again surprised at his own boldness. “You’re possessing a body?”   
  
_ Shut the fuck up, Cas! Why the fuck are you indulging him?! Stop fucking talking! _ he was shouting at himself in his head, but his thoughts weren’t reaching his lips. 

Cas noticed Lucifer’s eyes dart to his own reflection in the rearview mirror before hesitantly replying, “I  suppose one could say that I’m borrowing it.”   
  
Cas continued to stare, puzzled at his response. “You can just ‘borrow’ people’s bodies? What the fuck does that mean? Isn’t that what possession is?”   
  
Lucifer gave him a warning glance for his abrasive response. Cas quickly looked away from him and focused on his lap, his hands wringing nervously with sweaty palms. 

Pleased with his acquiescent demeanor, he continued explaining, “I  cannot walk the Earth in my true form and I don’t have a human body of my own, therefore, I had to acquire this one. The body was freshly deceased and he had a look that I found to be… suitable for my needs.”

They were getting further from town now and Cas was getting more tense by the minute. He was contemplating what his current options were. This wasn’t just a regular kidnapping. Could you even outrun the Devil? He hadn’t even managed to succeed in escaping him for the past few days, let alone the rest of his life. Was there no other choice for him? He didn’t want to admit that he already knew that his only option was to follow his instructions. If it meant that he and Jack would make it out of this alive, the choice was already evident. 

Indulging his request for conversation, he continued to appease him. “Okay, well what happened to the guy whose body you’re  _ inhabiting _ ? The artist, Dean Winchester. He’s dead, right?”

Lucifer paused, not bothering to acknowledge his question. “Right?” he pressed again.

“Not entirely,” he finally answered, still staring intently at the road ahead.

“What?” Cas asked, suddenly genuinely interested. He couldn’t wrap his head around any of this. “You mean, he’s still in there with you? So you  _ are _ possessing him?” This was disturbing in so many ways.

“It’s been quite a few millennia since I have physically walked this Earth with a human body. ‘Possession’ is a term used for ghost stories that humans create for false entertainment. I told you before, the mechanics are here, but the soul is still somewhat intact as well. How I am inhabiting this body is not as simple as ‘possession’. It’s something much more, which I cannot explain to a creature with a limited capacity to understand celestial metaphysics.”   
  
“I  have no idea what you’re talking about,” Cas stated plainly, gaping at him open-mouthed. 

The corners of Lucifer’s mouth tugged upward slightly in amusement before replying, “Exactly.” He was so caught up in the conversation that he hardly noticed the car coming to a halt. “We’re here.”

Cas looked out the window to see the familiar Gothic-style church that he had seen yesterday when he went for his walk. He glanced over at the street sign to confirm that they were, in fact, on Edgewater Avenue.    
  
His sense of panic was growing stronger. All of his visions and nightmares had led up to this point and he was at a loss of options. “I-I still don’t know exactly what I’m supposed to do.” he stammered nervously. “You haven’t explained to me why you brought me here or why I’m apparently the only one who can help you. This is bullshit, and I refuse to have you push me around like I have no choice in the matter.” His sudden burst of courage may not have been the best choice at that point in time.

Lucifer scowled at him with a challenging stare before he abruptly lifted his hand, frightening Cas and making him flinch. He closed his eyes, preparing for a strike, but was surprised when he realized he hadn’t hit him. He peered cautiously to see that he had instead reached down to the melted seat belt that kept him restrained and pulled it apart, breaking the plastic and metal into fragments like it was nothing. 

“You  _ don’t _ have a choice in the matter,” he finally responded. Cas looked quizzically back and forth from him, to the church, waiting for further explanation.    
  
Lucifer seemed to have understood his unspoken question and replied, “When you enter the threshold, you must locate Matthias. Inform him that you are there to collect that of which has been stolen on behalf of the Seraphim. Do not take no for an answer, do you understand?” he nodded his head, barely registering his demands. 

He then tilted his head and pursed his lips in thought. “You know, this doesn’t have to be as difficult as you’re making this out to be. I can be a friend to you, Cas.” The creature he now came to know as Lucifer rested his hand confidently on his thigh rubbing his thumb casually back and forth, making him quiver in what he had hoped was dismay. Something about the way he touched him reminded him of the dream he had the night before. His stomach lurched in nausea. He couldn’t tell if it was from fear or disgust. Maybe one in the same. 

Cas groaned inwardly and looked away from him, not able to form a response. “Cas, look at me,” he insisted. Cas reluctantly met his olivine eyes, which were filled with determination. “In time, you’ll understand why we were brought together. Meanwhile, I suggest that you start to appreciate my friendship and be grateful that you’re still alive. It also wouldn’t hurt to show a little gratitude for my cordiality. I can certainly think of a few ways for you to return the favor…” he trailed off, a slight smile tugging at his lips.    
  
Cas grimaced, trying his best to disguise his aversion, but probably failing. Was the King of Hell seriously hitting on him? It was something that he couldn’t even fathom. Lucifer seemed to read his expression and finally removed his hand from his thigh, making him breathe out a sigh of relief until he spoke again. “Now, if you would kindly go in before my patience subsides and I take it out on your little friend in the back of this car, I would greatly appreciate it,” he said with false sweetness, gesturing towards Jack, still passed out in the back seat. 

Cas knew that the only way out of this was to follow his instructions. There was nothing else he could do at that point. He was trying to calm his nerves as best he could as he got out of the car and walked towards the church. His legs were barely working and he was operating on autopilot as he got closer to the blood red door. He didn’t bother knocking as he reached it and pushed it open. 

When he walked inside, he was immediately intimidated by the regal decorations that adorned the interior of the church. He felt so out of place and almost unworthy. Churches made him nervous in general, nevermind the fact that he was there to run an errand on behalf of the fucking Devil.

He was so captivated by the regality of it all that he didn’t even notice that he wasn’t alone in the large hall. “Can he help you?” a man suddenly spoke from behind him, making him jump. Cas turned to see a man staring at him intently, awaiting his response. He was a small, chubby man, probably somewhere in his early 60’s. He had a bald head and square glasses adorned his face with a long, red robe draped around him.

“Umm, hello.” Cas responded weakly, wringing his hands, anxiety coursing through him. “Are you by any chance, Mattias?”

He looked at me suspiciously as he answered, “Yes, I am. May I ask who you are?”

“My name is Cas… Uh, Castiel. I was told to find you because you’re supposed to have something for me. I mean, I’m here to collect the… uh… or… the Serphantime want an item… or something like that?” he was struggling to remember what Lucifer had said. Surely this man would think that he was crazy and kick him out after hearing his bizarre request.    
  
The man waited patiently, taking into consideration Cas’ obvious fear before responding tentatively, “I’m afraid that I do not understand your request.”   
  
Cas sighed with tension, trying his best to remember Lucifer’s exact words. “I-I’m here to collect on behalf of the Seraphim. An item that’s been stolen.”

Matthias’ eyes widened as he said it. There was a mix of emotion on his face. Confusion, shock, intrigue, before, much to Cas’ surprise, he began to laugh. “ _ This _ is who they send? You’re just a young man. A civilian. Do you even know, or understand what it is that you’re here to collect?”    
  
“No,” Cas simply replied. “To be honest I don’t care what it is. I just need to get it and give it to Luc-” he stopped short, not wanting to indulge further, which would only further prove his lunacy.    
  
Matthias stared at him skeptically, his interest peaked. “Who is it exactly that sent you, Mr. Castiel?”

“I-I’d rather not say…” he trailed off, sounding more anxious than he had wanted to.    
  
Cas got the sense that Matthias had then put the pieces together, because at that moment, all traces of humor had left his face. “If you’re here to collect what I think you are, you need to tell me who it is that sent you.”   
  
Cas couldn’t bring himself to look at him as he spoke barely above a whisper, “Lucifer.”   
  
He could hear Matthias inhale quickly, but he did not respond immediately. After a few moments of silence, he finally looked up at him to see him staring at him in… pity? He couldn’t understand why he was looking at him like that.   
  
“I  knew he’d send someone eventually,” he finally spoke. “I  didn’t expect it to be you, Mr. Castiel. It’s unfortunate that he has chosen you to do his dirty work. I’m afraid he’s not going to be happy when he realizes that he sent you on a fool’s errand.”   
  
“Wait… you believe me?”   
  
“Yes, I do. I too have been in the presence of evil and know the look of desperation and despair upon your face. We don’t have what he sent you here to retrieve. It’s been moved to a place that is unknown to his or my knowledge. I’m sorry, but I cannot be of any further assistance to you.“

“Oh… thanks, I guess.” he should have pressed further, but he was honestly relieved that he didn’t have it. Whatever it was must have been important and if Lucifer was willing to go to such great lengths to find it, then it couldn’t have meant anything good for humanity.    
  
Cas turned around and began to leave when Matthias lightly grabbed his arm.

“Cas, I don’t think you understand the situation that you’re in. If Lucifer is truly walking the Earth than this could mean the end for all of us. Do not let his depravity consume you during this mission. He has powers that you can’t even imagine. He is not of this world and it is easy to fall prey to his requests.”

Cas shouldn’t have pressed further, but he was desperate for answers. “What else can you tell me about him? Why is he making me do this? What is it he’s looking for?”

“He sent you here because this church is hallowed ground and he cannot enter himself. Lucifer has been searching for this for thousands of years and if he’s gone through the trouble of contacting you, that means he’s closer to finding it now than he has ever been before. I’ll have to alert the others who are assigned to ensuring that he never finds what it is that he is looking for.”

Cas looked anxiously at him, waiting for him to continue. “As for you other questions, I am not the right person to answer them.”

“But you know what this is all about? You know why he chose me and is forcing me to do this?”

“I  am not the one you should be seeking answers from,” he responded, again avoiding his question. “I  will tell you this; you are more special than you think. You’re no ordinary man, Castiel. You’re meant for bigger things. Do not let Lucifer take advantage of you. Lucifer is very driven and he won’t stop until he finds what he’s looking for and has it in his possession.”

“Please, just tell me what’s going on. This can’t be real. I don’t understand what the hell is going on! What am I supposed to tell him when I leave?”

“I’m sorry to say this  _ is  _ real and you have a difficult journey ahead of you. You may tell him that it has been moved to a more discreet location and that if he continues to go down this path and to pursue this mission that it will not end well for him. I understand the position that this puts you in, Mr. Castiel, but do not fear. You have more power over him than you think. Go now, and be safe.”

A surreal feeling washed over Cas as Matthias escorted him to the door. What the fuck did any of that mean? What was he supposed to do with  _ any  _ of that information?    
  
After being ushered outside and having the door shut loudly behind him, he started to snap out of his daze when he saw Lucifer still waiting for him in the car. Something was off about the way he was staring at him. He looked frightened and worried. Did he already know what he was going to tell him? Cas’ first instinct was to run away to avoid having that conversation with him, but he knew that it was pointless and he would never leave Jack behind anyway. 

Cas opened the door and sat in the passenger seat with a heavy sigh. His body was shaking as he started to relay what little information he had to Lucifer. “He said they don’t have it. It’s been moved.”

“What’s been moved?” He didn’t sound nearly as upset as he thought he would. How… unexpected.

Cas shifted his eyes towards Lucifer’s confused face, irritated with his mind games. “What the hell do you think? The thing that you’ve been so obsessed with getting! The thing that you fucking kidnapped me for!”

Lucifer closed his eyes tightly and pressed his palm against his forehead like he was in pain. “Cas?” he finally asked weakly.

“Yes? What the hell is wrong with you, Lucifer?”

“I’m not Lucifer,” he said uneasily, meeting his eyes with a frightened glance. “My name is Dean Winchester.”


	6. Chapter 6

“My name is Dean Winchester.”

Cas glared at him, not at all amused by his teasing. “Ha-ha,” he breathed sarcastically. “You’re very funny. Okay, ‘Dean’, if that’s what you want me to call you... It’s not here, so I guess I’m done here and I can go now?”

Genuine confusion was etched in his face. “Cas… I know you, right?”   
  
“What? No, not really. I mean, unless you’ve been stalking me longer than I’ve been aware of.” He was being facetious, but a part of him wondered if that were true.    
  
The color started to drain from Dean’s face as he began shaking violently, looking away from Cas and focusing on his own reflection in the rearview mirror before he turned back to Cas in shock. “Please, I need your help. Something is seriously wrong. I-I’m not supposed to be here.” His voice became more frantic with each word that he spoke.    
  
“What the hell are you talking about?” he eyed him skeptically. “Did you not hear what I just said? It’s not here.”   
  
“Listen to me!” Dean shouted abrasively, grabbing Cas’ arm tightly in desperation. “I’m… I’m awake! I’m Dean Winchester! I’m not Lucifer!” 

Cas cautiously placed a comforting hand on Dean’s shoulder while he continued to go into hysterics. Cas spoke softly to try and soothe his nerves, “Whoa, okay, calm down. Try to think, what do you remember about what happened to you?”   
  
Dean’s gaze fell to the floor as he rummaged through his brain trying to recollect the last few moments of his life. “I  remember noise. A lot of noise; cars, maybe? There was a really loud sound compared to the rest of it and then pain was surging everywhere.” He paused, eyes tightening in the struggle to remember. “Oh god,” he gasped as the realization hit him. “I… I died. Cas,” he looked at him again, his eyes brimmed with sadness. “I’m supposed to be dead.” 

He clutched his hair in between his hands and began rocking back and forth in a panicked manner, still intensely trembling, sobbing without tears. 

Cas was baffled. How was he supposed to handle this situation? He continued to rub his shoulders lightly. “Dean” he spoke very delicately, almost a whisper, “It’s going to be okay. It’s true... you died. From what I understand it was a hit and run car accident from some asshole who didn’t even stop to see if you were okay.” he paused, allowing him to take it all in. “Do you know what’s happened to you since then?”

His body briefly settled and as he looked up at Cas, he could see his eyes welling up from the traumatic memory, which he quickly wiped away with his hands. “It’s all a blur, I can’t really remember much. Just darkness and pain for the most part. There are flashes here and there. I remember seeing you a lot, but not knowing who you were. I feel so… hollow.” He clutched his chest while the hurt and confusion in his eyes poured into Cas’. “I  can feel him inside me, Cas,” he said through clenched teeth. “He’s taken over my body and I don’t understand why. I can’t comprehend any of this.”

Removing his hand from his shoulder and sitting back with a sigh, Cas answered, “He said that your body ‘suited him best’. I don’t know why he chose you, Dean. I’m in the same fucking boat. Apparently Lucifer doesn’t seem keen on explaining himself to anyone. I’m just as confused as you are.”

He took another moment to gather his thoughts as he looked around, taking in his surroundings. He emitted a small gasp when he saw Jack passed out in the back seat. “Who the fuck is that?”   
  
Cas followed his gaze and replied, “My friend, Jack. He was unfortunate enough to get caught up in this mess, too.”    
  
Turning his attention back to Cas, Dean asked bluntly, “Why does Lucifer want you?”   
  
“I really wish that I knew. He’s been following me for days now and only today decided to actually show up in person and told me that he’s looking for something that was taken from him. That’s the extent of my knowledge.”    
  
Dean suddenly looked very worried. “It’s not safe here. We need to leave. Now.” He pressed his palm to his forehead like before, indicating that he was sifting deeply through his thoughts, possibly bringing up painful memories. “I  don’t know where we are, I just know that we shouldn’t be here.”   
  
“Why? Did he say something?”

  
“No, it’s just… a feeling. I can’t explain it. Besides, I’m dead, remember? I need to figure out how the fuck I’m supposed to explain myself once people realize that I’m alive.”   
  
Cas grimaced, remembering what little details that Lucifer had shared with him previously. “Dean…” he spoke as delicately as possible. “I  hate to tell you this, but I don’t think that you are. From what Lucifer said, he’s the only thing that’s keeping you alive. I don’t know how you’re both in there, but he made it clear that you’re situation is… temporary.”   
  
Dean looked away from him briefly, swallowing thickly before he replied, “That doesn’t change the fact that we need to leave.”   
  
“I’m not going anywhere!” Cas seethed. “Now that you’re back in control, you’re free to leave or do whatever you want, but I’m out! I did what he asked of me. The guy said that he didn’t have it, so that’s it, I’m done. I’m going back to my apartment and you can do whatever you want, but I’m no longer involved in whatever it is that he has planned.”

“You shouldn’t go back there, Cas,” he warned. “If you go back there, you’ll endanger everyone that you know. I don’t know if me being in control over his body is temporary or what, but Lucifer is… he’s drawn to you. It’s an inexplicable feeling.”

“You can feel what he feels? Are you awake the whole time?”

He gripped the wheel tightly before responding, “I can remember the feelings he has, but I can’t really feel them at the moment he’s having them. Sometimes I can, but it’s rare and if I do, it’s very brief. If I concentrate hard enough, I can see what he sees and I can sort of read his thoughts and I think that he can also read mine. I think he underestimated how conscious I’d be. That’s the only explanation that I can think of.”

Cas sat back into the seat and sighed, contemplating on what his next move was going to be. He still couldn’t believe that this was happening. He wanted to go home, but Dean was right about the potential threat to his friends. After that dream he had about Lucifer ripping out Jack’s throat, he wouldn’t put it past him to do something like that for real to ensure that he remained by his side. He didn’t want to take the chance.

“Okay, fine. You’re right. I can’t stay there, but we’re taking Jack back to the apartment. He shouldn’t have been involved with this in the first place. We’ll figure out where to go from there. Sound good?”

Dean nodded solemnly and started the car. Other than Cas’ instructions on how to get back to campus, no other words were exchanged between them. There were so many questions Cas wanted to ask him, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It was unsettling how just a few minutes ago the man beside him was radiating death and affliction, causing him to despise him with every fiber of his being, and now the man sitting next to him was no more than a regular frightened guy. Dean wanted out of this situation just as badly as he did. He didn’t ask for any of this to happen either. 

When they got back to the apartment, Cas and Dean lifted Jack out of the back of the car and carefully hauled him up to the apartment. Cas took a couple of minutes to grab a few things and to leave a note for Jack. He told him that they were both suffering from some sort of illness that caused hallucinations, which was a pathetic cover for what had happened, but he didn’t have time to come up with a better explanation. He told him that he was going to take a few days off to deal with his stress and go visit some family nearby. That would have to be enough. 

Cas found Dean leaning against the car waiting for him when he got outside. “We’ll take my car. We’re not going to take Jack’s. He’d kill me… and then bring me back to life to kill me again for good measure.” Dean nodded and walked with Cas to his car and got in the passenger seat without any comment. It was then Cas realized that Dean didn’t have a bag with him. “Umm, it doesn’t look like you have any spare clothes or anything, so if you want we can stop at a store?”   
  
“What day is it?” Dean asked, more straightforward than Cas had expected.   
  
“It’s April 21st.”   
  
“That means that I’ve only been gone for about a week. If we hurry, we can stop at my place and I can grab some things.”   
  
“How do you know that any of your stuff is still there? And if it is, won’t someone notice if you ransacked your own place or freak out when they realize that things have gone missing?”   
  
“The only person I’d have to worry about is my brother, and if I know him well enough, he hasn’t packed up anything yet. Fuck, he must be a wreck,” he breathed unevenly, distracted by his own grief.    
  
“Yeah, okay, we can stop by, but I don’t think that you should go in. Just tell me what you need and I’ll run in and grab your things for you. I really don’t want to have to explain to people that  _ The Walking Dead _ is an actual thing.”   
  
“Got it,” he agreed.    
  
They made their way over to his place, which was about 20 miles away from the apartment. It was a really nice looking apartment complex, which he guessed indicated that he was doing pretty well for himself as a successful artist. Dean gave hima list of clothes and items that he wanted and where to find them. He waited in the car while Cas walked up to his door and found the spare key hidden in the lamp post outside of his door where Dean said that it would be. 

Dean’s apartment was beautiful. The first room he walked into was a very large open space with grandiose windows that filled the apartment with light. There were no doors, only open walkways that led into a kitchen on the left, and a bedroom on the right. The place was a mess though. Cas didn’t know if it was a result of his usual living habits or if it had been rummaged through after his death.    
  
A large easel caught his eye in the far corner of the room, overlooking the garden outside of the nearest window and he walked over to inspect it further. It was a swirl of colors surrounding what appeared to be an odd shape of some sort. He was so engrossed in the beauty of it that he didn’t even notice that someone was standing behind him.    
  
“Who the fuck are you?”   
  
Cas outwardly yelped and felt like he had jumped out of his own skin. He turned around quickly to see a tall, thin man with long, chestnut hair and vibrant hazel eyes that were brimmed with red as if he had been crying.   
  
Panicking, Cas struggled with forming words to explain himself. “Uhh.. hey. I’m Cas.” 

_ Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck! _   
  
“Okay, ‘Cas’, what the hell are you doing here?”   
  
He had to think fast. Being as vague as possible was probably his best bet. He tried to sound confident as he fabricated a story, “I’m a friend of Dean’s. I left a few of my things here and I wanted to come by and grab them.”   
  
The man squinted his eyes at his lie, clearly not buying it. “I’ve never heard of you.” he stated plainly.    
  
“We didn’t know each other very long. You must be his brother,” he remembered Dean mentioning him before.    
  
“Sam,” he extended his hand hesitantly, to which Cas shook firmly. “For someone who didn’t know Dean for very long, you seem to have been acquainted with him well enough to know where the spare key is and to have left your things here,” he commented, eyeing him suspiciously.    
  
“Umm… yeah…” he trailed off, starting to become even more unnerved, losing his ability to conjure up another false explanation.    
  
Luckily, he didn’t get the chance before Sam started speaking again. “It’s okay, I get it. Dean never really liked to talk about his relationships. It’s cool.”   


“Huh? Wait, I’m not…” he decided to play off of his assumption since it would significantly help his case. “Yeah, I mean, it all happened pretty quickly. He was a great guy, I’m really sorry for your loss.”   
  
“Thanks,” Sam looked away, clearly not wanting to discuss the subject further. “Listen, I’m just going through some stuff, but I’ll step out for a bit so that you can grab your things. I don’t know how close you were, but if you want anything of his, you know, you can take something.”   
  
“Are you the only one going through his things?” Cas asked, hopefully not getting too personal.    
  
“Yeah. It was just the two of us. We don’t really have any other family, so I’ve had to go through it when I can. It’s been difficult to say the least, and in case you didn’t notice, my brother was a bit of a hoarder.”    
  
Cas smiled in response, not wanting to give away the fact that he actually hardly knew his brother at all. “Cool, thanks, man. I’ll be out of here soon, sorry to interrupt.”    
  
Sam stepped into the kitchen to continue what looked like packing up dishes, wrapping them in newspaper first as Cas headed towards the bedroom. He had hoped that Sam didn’t notice that the only things he was grabbing belonged to Dean.   
  
In record time, he packed up Dean’s requested items and headed for the door. Before he left, he stepped in the doorway of the kitchen to see Sam leaning with his back up against the kitchen counter, arms crossed over his slim torso, staring out of the window, his forehead wrinkled with pensive thoughts. “Hey, man. Thanks for letting me stop by. I appreciate it.”   
  
Sam snapped out of his daze, eyes brimmed with tears as he turned his attention towards Cas. “Yeah, it’s no problem. It’s nice to meet you, Cas. I didn’t really get to meet Dean’s friends very often. He was kind of a recluse, you know? He used to tell me, ‘That’s the price you pay for art.’ I  used to think that it was just an excuse to avoid people, but now that he’s gone, I see how truly dedicated he was to his art. I’m glad that I still have that part of him at least.”    
  
Cas didn’t know how to respond to that. He barely knew the guy, and here was his brother standing before him - all he had in the world from what it seems, and he felt awful for not being able to console him in any way. “Yeah, Dean was incredibly talented. I’m happy that you can always have that piece of him.” He had to stop himself before he said something he would regret. “Thanks, and again, I’m sorry for your loss.”   
  
Sam nodded his head somberly and shook his hand in silence before Cas all but ran out the door.    
  
When he got back to the car, he tossed Dean’s bag in the back and threw himself into the driver’s seat. “Get down,” he ordered.    
  
“What?” Dean asked, confused at his sudden assertiveness.    
  
“Get. Down. Your brother is here.”   
  
Instead of hiding, Dean looked up towards the apartment, a hopeful expression on his face. “Dean! I know you’re probably worried about him, but seriously, what do you think it’s going to do to him if he sees you?”   
  
“Yeah, I get it,” he snapped, clearly agitated, but eventually sat back as Cas had requested. He sighed heavily before speaking again. “I’m just worried about him. You spoke with him?”   
  
“Yeah,” Cas said, throwing the car into reverse, anxious to get out of there. “He’s sad, obviously, but he seems to be functioning as best he can.”   
  
“Okay…” he trailed off, thankfully not pressing further. It probably hurt him too much to think about, so he quickly changed the subject. “So, where are we going?”   
  
“I figured we could just start driving East, as far away from here as we can, since apparently that’s where he wants us to be. The farther he is away from our family and friends, the better.”   
  
“Agreed,” Dean stated plainly. “I hear that the Great Lakes are nice this time of year. Chicago?”   
  
“Chicago sounds great,” Cas replied with a smile, trying to make light of their situation. “I guess this means you’re the Bonnie to my Clyde now. Well, you know… minus the robberies and murder.”    
  
“Whoa, if anyone is Bonnie, it’s you. I’m Clyde” Dean laughed. He actually had a really nice laugh. It was very genuine and giddy.   
  
“Whatever you say, Clyde,” Cas replied, putting his sunglasses on and driving towards the highway.    
  
They took the time to get to know one another as they drove. He told me about how he and his brother were born in Kansas but how they were basically raised on the road due to their Dad’s profession. They had always been very close, even now after they had settled down and stopped traveling so much.    
  
He told Cas about his art and what his plans for his future were… or what they would have been. Cas divulged about the horrible dreams he had about Lucifer as well as all of the shit that he had gone through because of Lucifer before Dean took over. Dean said that he remembered seeing flashes of it, but not enough to put the pieces together. He claimed that this was the first time he had been able to break through Lucifer’s hold on him.

It was getting late and they had already been driving for several hours. Cas was beginning to feel drowsy, and wanted a place to rest for a bit. “Does a Motel sound okay to you?” he asked as they started to near an exit. 

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’m not high maintenance,” Dean yawned, stretching out his arms, also clearly tired.

They parked in front of the motel and grabbed their bags before heading inside, eager to get some rest. It had been a really long day and Cas could only imagine how exhausting it was to have your body possessed, or whatever Lucifer claimed he was doing since ‘possessing’ was beneath him. They walked to the front desk where a bored looking woman barely acknowledged them. “Need a room?”

“Umm,” Cas turned to Dean awkwardly. “Should we get separate rooms?”

“We can, if it makes you more comfortable,” he replied straightforwardly.    
  
“No, uhh, it’s not that, I just… I didn’t know if you wanted privacy. It would probably be cheaper just to get one room.”    
  
“That makes sense. I’m fine with getting one room,” Dean concluded. “I’m sorry, I would pitch in, but I must have left my wallet back in my coffin,” he chuckled darkly at his own morbid joke. Cas had to wonder if he was even buried at all as he pulled out his own wallet and requested one double bedded room for the night. 

They had made their way to the room and Dean waited hesitantly as he unlocked the door with the keycard. It was a decent room, as decent as a cheap motel can be. Cas set his bag on the floor and fell back onto the closest bed, grateful for it’s comfort. He shut his eyes for a minute and when he opened them Dean was at the foot of the bed watching him in fascination.

“What?” he asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

Dean quickly averted his eyes. “Nothing, sorry. It’s just... you’re very strange.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not in a bad way,” he corrected. “You’re taking this whole situation really well. If Satan were after me, I’d be scared shitless. And after all of the shit that Lucifer has pulled, I’d be mad as hell. You don’t really seem to be bothered at all.”

“You’re taking things pretty well considering Lucifer has made you his bitch,” Cas retorted, teasingly.

Dean was trying not to smile, but Cas could see the corners of his mouth lift slightly.

“I  don’t know,” Cas continued. “I’m actually a nervous mess. I’m still not entirely convinced that this isn't just another bad dream. If you were in my head, you’d know how scared I am, and how unsettling this whole situation is. It’s easier dealing with you than Lucifer, though. You don’t make me feel as scared, even knowing that he’s somewhere in there. I’m just waiting until my alarm goes off and I wake up, safe in my bed knowing that all of this was just another nightmare.”

“I’m waiting for that, too,” Dean said, turning away from him. “I  don’t feel like myself anymore. I guess that’s to be expected, but it’s more than just feeling less than ‘alive’. It’s almost as if my life isn’t connected to me anymore. It’s as if I don’t feel the same way I did about people and things when I was alive.”

“What do you mean? You don’t miss your family?”

“Oh god, I do. he wish I could go home right now and tell Sam that this was all just a big joke and that I’m still here, but I can’t. I couldn’t fuck with his head like that. Also, I don’t know how long Lucifer plans on keeping me here. What if he shows up in my life again, and he decides that he’s done with me and I’m gone for good? I couldn’t do that to him. I won’t.”

It was obvious how dejected and emotionally exhausted he was. Cas couldn't think of anything to say to ease his mind, so he just grinned in reassurance, waiting for him to continue. “This feeling I have is like I feel detached from everyone in my life. It’s like I still have the same feelings for them that I did when I was alive, but now I have new feelings towards them, like Sam and my friends are complete strangers. As if I’m seeing them through someone else’s perspective, which I’m guessing is Lucifer’s but I don’t know for sure. It’s hard to explain,” he sighed in frustration. 

“It’s alright. I can’t say that he relate, but I can understand. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. I’m really sorry.”

Dean gave him as much of a smile as he could muster before walking towards the bathroom. “I’m gonna get changed. I’ll just be a minute,” he stated, ending the conversation.

“I’ll probably be passed out by the time you’re done,” Cas commented before Dean shut the door behind him.

Cas continued to stare at the ceiling for a few seconds, going over the day’s unbelievable events. He didn’t realize how exhausted he was until he closed his eyes and dozed off to sleep within only a few seconds. 

* * *

Cas was having the most incredible sensation. Inexplicable pleasure was radiating throughout his body and he wanted it to last forever. He was seeing swirls of color all around, not at all comprehending what was happening to him. It was like hot molten fire creeping along every single nerve in his body, building up a delicious tension that needed to come undone.    
  
Slowly the colors started to slip away and he fell into darkness. The sensation was still present and he emitted a low groan as his world started to come into focus. Before long, he realized that he was lying in a horizontal position, stirring around on a soft surface.    
  
Confused, Cas took a deep breath and opened his eyes, slowly starting to regain consciousness. He remembered now; he had fallen asleep on a bed, but this bed wasn't his own. He started to look around his dark surroundings before being pulled back into the present by another wave of intense pleasure focused on his groin. He threw his head back into the pillow and moaned loudly into the air. “O-oh shit,” he whined breathlessly.    
  
Cas forced himself to lift his head to see where the euphoric feeling was coming from. In the darkness, he could see a silhouette raised underneath the blanket directly above his throbbing arousal. It was bobbing up and down slowly, in sync with the intense bliss that he was feeling.    
  
“What-” he started to say before he felt what could only be teeth grazing the underside of his cock, slowly dragging it upward to his sensitive head before sucking on it aggressively, tongue digging into his slit, licking away all of the built-up pre-cum. He threw his head back again and shamelessly moaned loudly, lost in the feeling.    
  
Wait… something wasn’t right. How did he get here? What happened last night? The last thing he could remember was stopping at a motel to rest for the night and…. Oh. Fuck.    
  
Cas jolted awake, immediately reaching for the lamp on the bedside table and switching it on before throwing the blankets off of him, revealing a lust-driven Dean with his lips still wrapped around his pulsating dick.    
  
“What the fuck!” he shouted, pushing him off and crawling back frantically towards the head of the bed. “What the hell are you doing?!”   
  
Dean chuckled darkly, wiping the pre-cum and saliva off of his mouth with the back of his hand. “Calm down, Cas. You seemed distressed yesterday, so I thought I would help you relax.”

“That’s not... why would... what?!” he couldn’t even think straight. He had basically just been assaulted by a dead guy. Oh fuck. Was he a necrophiliac?!    
  
Dean licked his lips deliberately slowly, shamefully making Cas’ still-hard cock twitch in response. “There's no need to get so upset. You were enjoying yourself, and I must say, I wasn’t having a bad time either,” he said with a wink. 

“Dean… what the fuck makes you think that this is okay?” he was in hysterics, still pressed up against the wall at the head of the bed, attempting without success to cover up his obvious erection. 

Dean’s eyes darted from Cas’ horrified face down to Cas’ aching cock before his lips peeled back into a sinister smile and it was then Cas had realized that he wasn’t dealing with Dean anymore. “...Lucifer?”

“Miss me, Cas?”


End file.
